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Ever Wonder Why “Resident Evil” Became So Action-Heavy?

For fans of the Resident Evil’s original, old-school design, which was lighter on action and much heavier on slower pacing, tank controls and limited supplies, the series’ evolution over the past several years has probably been somewhat distressing. If the old formula worked well, why change it?

Well, series creator Shinji Mikami says that after RE3, the tried and true scenarios were actually not what players were looking for anymore.

In a recent interview with IGN talking about the old-school feeling Evil Within and the philosophy of the horror genre, Mikami actually said that Resident Evil 4’s drastic design departure was because of the original Resident Evil Gamecube remake.

“The Resident Evil remake is actually one of my favorites of the series too, but it didn't sell very well,” Mikami said in the interview. “[So] I decided to work more action into Resident Evil 4. [It] would have been a more scary, horror-focused game if the remake had sold well.”

Footage of what Resident Evil 4 was originally going to be has been floating around online for awhile now, and it’s interesting to see the striking similarities between it, the RE Gamecube remake and Resident Evil 0. Would you have wanted to play RE4 in its original state, or is the classic we know today the version that should have been made?

Check out the rest of Mikami’s thoughts on survival horror and The Evil Within at the link below.